Snow season still strong

Snow season still going strong in northern NH

Just few miles from Conway Village, there's plenty of soft snow left on the Nanamocomuck Ski Trail. (SARA YOUNG-KNOX PHOTO)

ALBANY - Philip Shea of Bridgton, Maine, was in the parking lot at the Albany Covered Bridge on Wednesday afternoon with his cross-country skis leaning against the tailgate of his truck.

Shea, 27, was ready to go through the bridge to the Lower Nanamocomuck Trail, something that was not possible a year ago at this time. By late March 2012 the mercury had already hit 80 degrees in the White Mountains, and what little snow there had been was long gone.

This year's unseasonably cool March weather, combined with the late winter and early spring storms, has stretched out the season for winter outdoor activities in the White Mountains and farther north.

"It's been a good winter," Shea said as he finished applying klister - the soft, sticky ski wax used for icy, slushy or wet conditions - on his skis. "Last winter you didn't even have to shovel," he added.

The snow in the woods and trails is good news for those who enjoy spring skiing and snowmobiling.

"The past few months of March (in recent years) have not brought much natural snowfall, but this year is certainly making up for that. The stage is now set for an awesome spring skiing season, which really makes the deals on lift tickets and season passes that much more valuable to our guests," Karl Stone, Ski NH's marketing director, said recently.